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'''The 2021 Nevada State Rail Plan as a model for other States and Provinces'''
The 2021 Nevada State Rail Plan is unlike any other transportation plan. It is an action plan for pragmatic, statewide rail-enabled economic development. The plan consummates an eighteen-month immersion by OTNA and its for-profit affiliate, Strategic Rail Finance, positioning Nevada’s freight system to make a measurable contribution to the state’s economic and environmental vitality.


The Nevada Department of Transportation contracted OnTrackNorthAmerica and its sister, for-profit advisory firm Strategic Rail Finance, to create the 2021 Nevada State Rail Plan. Applying our Collaborative Industrial Optimization approach, we established a breakthrough rail-enabled economic development strategy for the state.
Typically, a submitted rail plan is the end result. The Nevada plan is a future-facing, detailed action plan for results.


Like many states, Nevada developed during the westward expansion of railroads in the 19<sup>th</sup> century. While this history is often forgotten in our modern discourse, reestablishing the railroad's value to an efficient, sustainable society is essential to Nevada and the entire continent. While North America’s dearth of passenger trains is often lamented, people are surprised to learn that the U.S. freight rail system is a global leader. However, North America shares a dynamic with the rest of the world, wherein rail freight lags far behind truck transportation as a consequence of the massive public investment in road and highway infrastructure of the 20<sup>th</sup> century.
'''In creating the plan, OTNA and SRF:'''


At its peak, the Nevada rail system stretched 2,422 miles. Since then, it has receded to 1,193 miles despite the expansion of the state’s population and industrial activity. The 2021 Nevada State Rail Plan (NVSRP) has been created to support a balanced transportation system that maximizes sustainability, productivity, and profitability. The plan established eight regions and teams and comprehensively identified passenger and freight rail infrastructure and operations. This includes all active and proposed mines and industries, businesses and their proximity to rail, and all truckload shippers. The plan cataloged over 12MM individual truck and rail shipments, classified by commodity, traffic flows, empty and full truck dynamics, volume changes, and destination and origin. Further analysis of the economic and environmental impacts, including congestion, air quality, population demographics, and industrial employment data, informed the calculated benefits of modal conversion from truck to rail.
*Facilitated in-depth dialogue with hundreds of shippers, stakeholders, and developers to catalog current and planned business developments and infrastructure opportunities
*Conducted a deep dive into truck movement data in and through the state to pinpoint new opportunities for rail growth and improved multi-modal integration—a rail plan first
*Initiated supply chain mapping for entire industries to pinpoint synergies for optimized operations and infrastructure
*Crystalized the substantial investment opportunity for private sector capital to augment the limited availability of public-sector funding


'''Key Data Findings:'''
Here are the 10 transformative principles applied in the 2021 Nevada State Rail Plan:


* 77% of freight tonnage is carried by trucks
#'''Design for Action''': Create dynamic, evolving plans that adapt to changing conditions rather than static reports that quickly become outdated
* 83% of rail volume is through traffic, primarily serving commerce outside the state
#'''Radical Inclusion''': Engage all stakeholders—375+ stakeholders and 141 shippers in Nevada alone—to identify opportunities invisible to conventional planning
* Only one warehouse of 137 in Nevada is using rail
#'''Actionable Data Tools''': Develop innovative electronic mapping that integrates multiple data layers to reveal new possibilities for rail development
* 70% of all trucks in the state are moving to or from California on that trip
#'''Integrated Transportation''': View rail and roads as one system, optimizing each mode’s strengths rather than forcing unnecessary competition
* Only 4% of ground freight moving by rail is going to or from a Nevada business
#'''Focus on the Whole Supply Chain''': Collaborate across businesses, agencies, and industries to restore the comprehensive approach that built America’s original rail network
* Less than .25% of land freight is moving by rail from one Nevada business to another
#'''Cross-Border Planning''': Recognize that supply chains extend beyond state lines—70% of Nevada truck traffic is moving to or from California
* Transportation and warehousing is the second-largest employment sector and growing
#'''Economic Development Integration''': Bridge the gap between transportation and economic development agencies, transportation providers, and shippers to unlock growth opportunities
* Transportation is currently responsible for 28% of U.S. Greenhouse gas emissions
#'''Land Use Coordination''': Incorporate freight transportation needs into land use planning, preserving rail-adjacent land for appropriate development
* Modal conversion from truck to rail would reduce emissions by 5%-25%
#'''Compelling Growth Plans''': Present railroads with pragmatic business strategies that make the development of local services financially attractive
#'''Private Capital Attraction''': Tap into hundreds of billions in available private investment by aggregating projects into comprehensive industrial and regional strategies


Working and investing comprehensively to transform a system is more productive and efficient than narrowly focusing on an individual project basis. The 17 recommendations pinpointed in the NVSRP comprise a systematic solution that optimizes the use of rail for Nevada’s economic expansion and environmental improvement.
===The Path Forward ===


'''The NVSRP tackles the chronic challenges to state rail plan implementation:'''
This approach identified more than 50 private-sector projects in Nevada that can be advanced through the profitable investment in new rail infrastructure and service. By transitioning from static reports to dynamic action plans, we can attract significant private capital.


# Regional marketplace dynamics that throttle rail expansion
With no technology on the horizon capable of replacing rail’s efficiency for moving heavy freight, this model represents our best path toward sustainable supply chains. Public officials, private businesses, industrial developers, and stakeholders across the state have expressed their enthusiastic support for this groundbreaking approach.
# Limited public funding for rail infrastructure
# Follow-up organizational structure and commitment


The NVSRP illuminated an investment opportunity of $740M to connect rail infrastructure to 53 identified industrial growth projects. While public funding is limited, this commercially informed plan establishes rail construction as attractive to private-sector businesses and investors.
'''For a 15-minute introduction to the plan,''' we invite you to read '''[[:File:SRF-OTNA New Blueprint for Rail-Enabled Economic Development.pdf|The New Blueprint for Rail-Enabled Economic Development]].'''
 
'''The full 2021 Nevada State Rail Plan''' is available '''[[Nevada’s 2021 State Rail Plan|here]]'''.
 
'''Or if you would like to review the plan’s sections individually:'''
 
[[2021 Nevada State Rail Plan - Individual Chapters, Appendix, & Links|2021 Nevada State Rail Plan | Individual Chapters, Appendix, & Links]]

Latest revision as of 15:46, 28 October 2025

The 2021 Nevada State Rail Plan is unlike any other transportation plan. It is an action plan for pragmatic, statewide rail-enabled economic development. The plan consummates an eighteen-month immersion by OTNA and its for-profit affiliate, Strategic Rail Finance, positioning Nevada’s freight system to make a measurable contribution to the state’s economic and environmental vitality.

Typically, a submitted rail plan is the end result. The Nevada plan is a future-facing, detailed action plan for results.

In creating the plan, OTNA and SRF:

  • Facilitated in-depth dialogue with hundreds of shippers, stakeholders, and developers to catalog current and planned business developments and infrastructure opportunities
  • Conducted a deep dive into truck movement data in and through the state to pinpoint new opportunities for rail growth and improved multi-modal integration—a rail plan first
  • Initiated supply chain mapping for entire industries to pinpoint synergies for optimized operations and infrastructure
  • Crystalized the substantial investment opportunity for private sector capital to augment the limited availability of public-sector funding

Here are the 10 transformative principles applied in the 2021 Nevada State Rail Plan:

  1. Design for Action: Create dynamic, evolving plans that adapt to changing conditions rather than static reports that quickly become outdated
  2. Radical Inclusion: Engage all stakeholders—375+ stakeholders and 141 shippers in Nevada alone—to identify opportunities invisible to conventional planning
  3. Actionable Data Tools: Develop innovative electronic mapping that integrates multiple data layers to reveal new possibilities for rail development
  4. Integrated Transportation: View rail and roads as one system, optimizing each mode’s strengths rather than forcing unnecessary competition
  5. Focus on the Whole Supply Chain: Collaborate across businesses, agencies, and industries to restore the comprehensive approach that built America’s original rail network
  6. Cross-Border Planning: Recognize that supply chains extend beyond state lines—70% of Nevada truck traffic is moving to or from California
  7. Economic Development Integration: Bridge the gap between transportation and economic development agencies, transportation providers, and shippers to unlock growth opportunities
  8. Land Use Coordination: Incorporate freight transportation needs into land use planning, preserving rail-adjacent land for appropriate development
  9. Compelling Growth Plans: Present railroads with pragmatic business strategies that make the development of local services financially attractive
  10. Private Capital Attraction: Tap into hundreds of billions in available private investment by aggregating projects into comprehensive industrial and regional strategies

The Path Forward

This approach identified more than 50 private-sector projects in Nevada that can be advanced through the profitable investment in new rail infrastructure and service. By transitioning from static reports to dynamic action plans, we can attract significant private capital.

With no technology on the horizon capable of replacing rail’s efficiency for moving heavy freight, this model represents our best path toward sustainable supply chains. Public officials, private businesses, industrial developers, and stakeholders across the state have expressed their enthusiastic support for this groundbreaking approach.

For a 15-minute introduction to the plan, we invite you to read The New Blueprint for Rail-Enabled Economic Development.

The full 2021 Nevada State Rail Plan is available here.

Or if you would like to review the plan’s sections individually:

2021 Nevada State Rail Plan | Individual Chapters, Appendix, & Links

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